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2500 8.1L Improved Gas Mileage?

U

ultravorx

Full Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2002
Messages
360
Location
New Britain, CT
Hey, whats up guys, i was wondering which would be the best way to bring up my 11 mpg :8: on my 2002 2500. Someone had told me the throttle body spacer would help, i've read the k&n intake would help. maybe a combination of both would help ;D . Anyadvice or other mods that would improve this beast >:D would be appreciated.
frank
 
It depends on how much you are willing to invest!

I spent a little over a grand on these,
with not much testing between mods (sorry) so I really don't know how much to attribute to which mod...
BUT, here is how I picked up about 3 mpg:

Volant Intake
Flowmaster 50 Big Block (dual 3" inlets, dual 2.5" outlets, 2 pipes straight out the back.
Direct Hits Ignition
HPP3

If you do a search for each of those, you will find a bunch of owners talking about them in more detail, and what effect they had on performance and MPG!

I am VERY pleased with the performance gains as well! (y)

Seven :cool:


 
I agree , I have the Flowmaster, UPD, and superchip. I have seen 14.0 mpg @ 70 mph with cruise control. I have the 3.73 rear end and 4x4.

When you buy the 2500 gas mileage should not have been a consideration. I get 8-9 around town as it's hard to keep your foot out of it with the mods. They really did make a difference in the performance.
 
Hey Aegis, I know that the 2500 i shouldnt expect much gas mileage, but i just wanted to see if any mods DO help the situation. I mean, every little bit helps.
frank
 
My last fillup I got an average of 9.731 miles per gallon. (oh yeah, three digits of accuracy there!)

During a trip of almost 100% highway driving my 2500 series got over 14 miles per gallon!

If you want to save on gas, get yourself a Honda Insight and drive it around. But if you want to drive around in style in the baddest pickup/SUV on the planet, live with the low milage.

Like Aegis said, we don't pick the 8.1 liter Vortec expecting great efficiency!
 
I love it when people who willingly purchased a 7000 pound vehicle with a four-hundred-ninety-six cubic inch (8100 cc's), 8.1-liter BIG BLOCK engine with over 300HP ask about how they can increase their gas mileage.
:D:

Here are some suggestions:

1. use the "N" gear as often as possible
2. leave it in your driveway
3. trade it in on a skateboard
4. set it on fire and use the insurance money to buy a Daihatsu (they have 3 cylinder engines)
5. if you have to drive it don't go over 40MPH - people behind you on the highway will really like that a lot

You need to buy a vowel.

Seriously dude, you bought the wrong engine if you're even thinking about how to increase your gas mileage. I hope you're at the very least a Costco member so you can buy your gas cheaper than at other gas stations.

What's your next post going to be - "how can I reduce the weight of my Avalanche 2500?" >:D
 
I like the 2500 Av so much we went and ordered a 2003 Suburban 2500 with the 8.1 also. Had it about 8 weeks now. Boy is it nice.

Gary
 
ultravorx, we've tracked the mileage on our Av since it was purchased. Using 87 octane gas gives us the best mileage (1 MPG better than 89, and 4 MPG better than 91). Of course this would not be the case if we had the Hypertech or Superchips type of mod (higher octane required).

The UPD FIPK was good for a 1 MPG improvement.

Note: If you go for the UPD, don't bother getting the K&N filter from them. They include the K&N that's designed for the 5.3L motor even though you're getting the intake for the 8.1L. K&N warns against using the wrong filter. You can get the right filter from other sources on the web for $40-$50.
 
Hey guys...
give Ultra a break...
notice his # of posts?

We don't want him to think that we are always this tough to get along with :eek:

I think he understands the point that it is not an economy vehicle, but hey, it never hurts to ask if there is a way to improve the situation!

And as for you Ultraman-
WELCOME to the club!

In my opinion, these beasts perform so well that I would definitely save the bux and run 87 octane-
BTW, with the HPP3, you can program it to maximize performance with the cheaper gas - it does not require the use of 93! (y)

For more info on this topic, click "search" and enter "gas mileage" and change the number of days to 120 or so - you should find a few topics that talk about it!

Seven :cool:
 
Thanks guys for the variety of rants and raves. Its always good to here the good :), bad :6:, and the ugly :9: points of views. Im not offended at all. Just happy to be part of the club. ;D
frank
 
Right now, the whole lot of you can button your lips...for the very last word on fuel economy, I will submit that none of you need to find $150 to fill her up like me (in UK)!!!!!!!!

Very shortly, I will be removing the entire exhaust and fitting a set of TOG headers, 3" straight thru muffler and no cat. That should add a couple of MPGs, so long as I keep my foot off >:D
 
ultravorx said:
Thanks guys for the variety of rants and raves. ?Its always good to here the good :), bad :6:, and the ugly :9: points of views. ?Im not offended at all. ?Just happy to be part of the club. ;D
frank
Click to expand...

*whew* I'm glad you feel that way. Few guys were kinda harsh with their response.

But truthfully they are right. You bought a gas hog. Its one of the baddest mutha's on the planet...but its still a gas hog. You can get the MPG up with the mods they discussed, but its gonna take a chunk of change. You would have to drive a awful lot to see that money back.
 
Hey...I don't care about the mileage...It would still cost half of that to fill up a Euro-Jap tin box, and an Av is a lot more than twice the fun :cool:
 
When you own a tiger, be prepared to pay the butcher bill :rolleyes:

On a serious note the best thing you can do for better gas mileage is get a tennis ball and wedge it under the accelerator - cures "leadfoot" syndrome ;D
 
My first tank I drove 437 miles and it took 32 gallons to put her back to full...13.65 miles to the gallon, heh better than I expected.
 
Check out the latest Four Wheeler Magazine (January 2003) They tested four trucks and the Dodge Ram 2500 got 9.1 MPG, the GMC Seirra 1500 only got 12.2 MPG, and the new Ford F-250 Disel got 12.1 MPG. Don't feel that bad about the Avalanche 2500 gas mileage.

By the way the GMC Seirra 1500 was the Four Wheeler Truck of The Year!
 
chevroletavalanche said:
...Dodge Ram 2500 got 9.1 MPG, the GMC Seirra 1500 only got 12.2 MPG, and the new Ford F-250 Diesel got 12.1 MPG...
Click to expand...

I want to print that out and clip it on my visor...
I'll NEVER feel bad about my mileage again-

DID WE MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION OR WHAT? ;) (y)

Seven :cool:
 
Reality check...

Let's assume you drive 12,000 miles per year with gas at $1.50 per gallon. ?The difference between a 2500 with 12 mpg and a "Honda" with 35 mpg is approximately $1,000. ? If you kept a "second car" to save gas, that is not enough to pay for the extra insurance and registration (we won't even talk about depreciation).

Using the same 12,000 @ $1.50 assumption a $1,000 mod (headers + intake) that yields a 2 mpg increase will save less than $250 per year. ?You will break even after 4 years. ?For some, the extra horsepower may be worth it alone.

Getting an extra 1-20 more mpg sounds great but how much does that really cost and what are you really saving?

Someone told me the most effective way to save money on gas was to stay at home... but how much fun is that?
 
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Well I have to say, reading this thread just improved my mood. Thanks everyone.
I have always choosen to look at the mileage situation this way perfectly illustrated by my converstation at a gas station with a "lady" in her 30's who was filling up her Honda Civic. It began when she asked me how much a full tank cost. I replied about $45 dollars. She said that her Honda cost no more than $20 and the Honda was helping to keep the environment cleaner. I told her that my Avalanche was a Low emissions vehicle, which meant that it had lower emissions according to the EPA. I also told her that everything in life is a compromise, she spent less in gas, but drove a smaller, lighter car. I spent more in gas and drove a heavier truck that has greater survivability in a crash. So, she was spending less, and trading off living after an accident. I informed her that my life as well as my family's life was worth the extra few dollars at the pump. She gave me a nasty look and then left. Sorry for being so long-winded, but this is the short version.
Durwin
 
From
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/sfsc.htm


"Vehicle size and weight are important characteristics that influence crashworthiness. The laws of physics dictate that, all else being equal, larger and heavier vehicles are safer than smaller and lighter ones. In relation to their numbers on the road, small cars have more than twice as many occupant deaths each year as large cars. "

 
Well said Durwin and HQ!

I feel very safe in my 3.5+ ton AV!! ;)

BTW, I drive about 20k per year in my AV,
so the $1000 I spent will come back MUCH sooner,
and YES, the performance gains alone were worth it...
but the gas mileage bonus is nice! (y)


Seven :cool:
 
This thread has been very enlightening. I have seen new members putting a lot of thought into their posts and offering suggestions, while longtime members who I once respected have made some very poorly thought out comments.

No one claimed that they expected extraordinary fuel economy with the Avalanche. But as was already stated, 'every little bit helps.' It is nice to see new members like hq weighing the pros and cons of modifications that will affect fuel economy. I just wish some of the longtime members would have had such courtesy, or at least kept quiet. If these responses were the type I received to my first post, CAFCNA would have gotten the bird and they could grump amongst themselves. As it stands, it is not even my thread and such comments make me consider why I am still a member.

Just my two cents.
 
Sorry if we dissapointed you, but the fact is that you will improve your gas mileage by not trying to drive it like a sports car, hence the use of a stiffer spring & or a "tennis" ball to train the driver to ease into it.

The MPG of the 2500 is right in line with the rest of the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks when you take into account the added weight - about 1000 lbs over an equivalent pickup of the same load capacity.

You can bolt on all kinds of things to improve its performance, get it moving quicker and haul better, but most of them are not going to increase your mileage enough to pay for them.

 
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